A Novel Health camp– “OF Veerapuram, FOR Veerapuram and BY Veerapuram”

When we identified the need to have a general health camp for Veerapuram village, we wanted to employ the Karmayoga principles and influence the villagers to conduct their own medical camp with minimal involvement of our KY Team. We planned to develop leadership skills and proactive nature in a youngster of the village by making him lead this health camp initiative. We chose Vijay Ramachandran, a 20 year old engineering student. We wanted him to create followers for this event and execute it through his followers. The mode of influencing we chose: “ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS”.
It started with Vijay initially rejecting the plan saying he is not capable of doing that, avoiding us and anticipating our pursuance of the same. So we dropped it for a while and later took it up slowly by questioning him step by step and instilling confidence in him. After a while he understood what we were trying to do. By that time he also realised that organising a health camp is not a mammoth task as he had thought initially. Sensing this, we pushed him a little further and unveiled a success story. Vijay formed a small team with 3 of his friends Nagaraj, Surya and Guna. Though initially they were reluctant when they heard the plan of ”Organizing a medical camp”, but when Vijay broke up the task and assigned them separate jobs, they happily agreed to be a part of it. Then Vijay and his team and our KY team went to the president to ask for his permission which he readily gave. We then helped Vijay by blocking the day of 9th March for the camp with PRIMS hospital which conducted the health camp in collaboration with Great Lakes Institute of Management. Then Vijay went to PRIMS hospital establishment in Mananmai, met the Superintendent Mr Aiyyappan and requested him to conduct a health camp for his village on 9th March. Obliging his request, Mr Aiyyappan visited Veerapuram on 6th March to check and finalize the venue for health camp at Veerapuram high school. Vijay showed him around and took down his requirements for the day of the event. Satisfied with the venue and Vijay’s commitment, Aiyyappan confirmed the Health camp on Sunday 9th March. Then Vijay approached the president of the village summarizing his visit. The president was very impressed with the work done. When we offered to provide refreshments and lunch for the doctors and staff, they declined our offer and told that it would be the Panchayat’s responsibility. All set, we waited for the dawn of 9th March to see how well Vijay will execute the plan.
But the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. This happened when Vijay had to attend an interview on the same day morning. While we were wondering what to do, Vijay called us and told that he discussed with his team and they are confident of conducting it in his absence and also he will be in contact with them over phone. We were skeptical about the team conducting the camp and hence, our whole KY team went in order to support them. But all we did was watch in amazement at the little team seamlessly coordinating among themselves right from sending out a drummer to announce about the camp in the village and arranging benches for the camp to cleaning of the leftovers after the lunch at the close of the camp. We were restricted to clicking photos, ferrying old people from Ambedkar nagar in our vehicle a couple of times and giving a final touch to the publicity for the Health Camp.
Coming to the details of the Health camp, it was conducted in the Veerapuram Govt High school. The doctors arrived at 915, set up their kit and started seeing the patients from 930. The first one hour was slow but it picked up by 1030 and continued till 1330 hours. A total of 104 patients were tested and provided a blood group identification test. The patients with minor ailments were given medicine and some of them were referred to the main hospital for further diagnosis. The medical team was very happy with the turnout and the hospitality shown by the villagers and the village team. They were particularly surprised when they came to know that the lunch was provided by the villagers themselves and told us that it is not a very common gesture.
Coming to the KY team of Veerapuram, we are beyond words, as we achieved our target of making the villagers conduct a medical camp for their village on their own with our minimal interference. Of our two agendas, the first one– villagers taking up the responsibility of medical camp was fulfilled by Vijay and his team and second, helping the villagers was fulfilled by 104(our target was 100) villagers utilizing the opportunity to better their health.
Vijay and his team are very confident now and they have decided to organize a star gazing event for the kids in the village. This time with no persuasion, they took the phone number of a senior scientist in Kalpakkam whose is also a senior TNSF member and set up an appointment for the event on Saturday evening. We believe this is the result of our efforts of trying to improve their self-esteem and self-efficacy. Vijay and Nagraj who were very shy and reserved when we met them 10 months ago have certainly come very far into moulding themselves into mature and confident young men who are voluntarily taking on the tasks of conducting events involving the whole village.
This, the KY team of Veerapuram believes is the way of achieving the innate goals of the Karmayoga programme i.e. improving the self-esteem and self-efficacy of fellow human beings.